Apparatus for the breaking down of piles of objects arranged in layers,such as bricks



Apnl 21, 1970 w. A. M. POMPE 3,507,404

APPARATUS FOR THE BREAKING DOWN OF FILES 0F OBJECTS ARRANGED IN LAYERS, SUCH As BRICKS Original Filed March 28, 1967 2, Sheets-Sheet 1 WVENTOR WILHELMUS ANTONIUS MARIA POMPE ATTORNEYS April 21, 1970 w, PQMPE 3,507,404

APPARATUS FOR THE BREAKING DOWN OF FILES OF OBJECTS ARRANGED IN LAYERS SUCH AS BRICKS Original Filed March 28, 1967 3 s ts-shee 2 H M, I [MM FIG. 2

INVENTOR WILHELMUS ANTONIUS MARIA POMPE ATTORNEY United States Patent 15 Int. Cl. A63d /08; B65g 61/00; B66c 1/42 US. Cl. 214-1 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Irregularly arranged layers of objects are engaged by moving a carrier which has a series of projecting elements toward the layer until the movement of some of the projecting elements is arrested by their contact with the objects, and others of the projecting elements extend into spaces between the objects. The projecting elements are then expanded to exert lateral gripping forces against the sides of the objects.

This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 626,498, filed Mar. 28, 1967, now abandoned.

The invention has reference to a procedure for breaking down piles of block shaped objects arranged in layers, such as bricks and suchlike after finishing a baking process. The mechanical breaking down of such a pile entails great difficulties, because, during the baking process, the original position of the pile and/or the objects in a layer of the pile can be lost as a result of the clotting together of objects, the subsiding and/ or becoming lopsided of the pile etc. The spaces originally left open between the objects, which spaces are needed for a good circulation of the supplied heat, will be enlarged to a greater or lesser extent as a result of the fact that the contraction is not uniform for all the objects.

The invention aims at providing a process which makes it possible in all cases that may occur, to break down such a pile. The invention also aims at providing a grabber with which the process can be applied. The process meets the requirement of filling up the open spaces between the several objects in a layer with filling elements which form part of the construction of a grabber, after which the filling elements and/or the insides of the edge of the grabber can be expanded so that the objects and the filling elements are firmly pressed together and that the layer pressed together in this way can be lifted and moved. The grabber is provided with edging and filling elements of similar length which hang down, and are mounted in the grabber so as to be able to be moved freely up and down vertically. In this way it can be achieved that when lowering the grabber on to the pile where there are objects, the filling elements can be moved upwards freely, while in places where there are no objects, the filling elements will be lowered with the grabber. Lowering the grabber is continued until the filling elements, which are in an open space have nearly reached the following layer of objects. To be able to lift the. layer filled up and grabbed in this way, it is necessary that the objects and the filling elements are firmly pressed together. This can be achieved because the filling elements and/or the edge of the grabber can be expanded.

For breaking down piles that have horizontal measurements which are larger than those of the horizontal crosssection of the grabber, the edging elements of the grabber can also be made to move freely up and down vertically. With the help of the drawing this will be explained.

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FIGURE I represents a model on a reduced scale of a grabber, operating in accordance with the abovementioned principles.

FIGURE II represents the same grabber from the side, which now presses the objects together and lifts them.

FIGURE III shows the grabber from underneath.

1 is a layer of objects placed more or less arbitrarily, e.g. bricks placed On another layer 2 or on another underground.

The grabber has to lift the objects 1.

The grabber here consists chiefly of the hanging pairs of laminated springs or filling elements 3, 4, 6 and 7, which can be moved away from each other or be expanded and the laminated springs or edging elements 5 which form the edge and can be moved inwards, forming, in this way, an edge that can be expanded inwards.

The filling elements 3, 4, 6 and 7 can be lifted, as can also the edging elements 5.

If the grabber is now lowered over the layer of objects to be taken up, to a little way above the surface on which they are placed, then the filling elements which come down on the objects, e.g. 3 and 4 will be lifted and those which come down between the objects, e.g. 6 and 7 will stick there, and in this way will fill the spaces between the objects entirely or partly more or less according to the law of chance.

If one now makes the parts of the grabber within the edge expand, the spaces between the objects to be taken up are more or less further filled, so that the layer to be taken up, can be taken up, pressed together and hanging from the grabber because of the internal expansion of the edge, as is indicated in FIGURE II.

If the parts of the grabber hanging within the edge are of such a shape and is their number and distribution such that a great part of the space between the objects to betaken up is filled by them, then only the internal expansion of the edge is sufficient.

It can occur that the pile to be lifted has larger measurements in one or more directions than the grabber. It will then be necessary for the edge to be liftable too at the places where objects lie, and that is why the laminated springs 5 are also liftable.

The expansion of the hanging parts of the grabber and/ or the internal expansion of the edge can be achieved in many ways. The construction given here counts solely as an example.

The laminated springs hang in the recesses of the plate 8, which recesses are distributed in such a way as to correspond with that of FIGURE III.

The plate 9 also has recesses which are the same in number as those of plate 8, but whose size is considerably larger, so that the freedom of movement of the hanging parts of the grabber is not too much restricted by them, but are nonetheless restricted in such a way that they cannot get entangled with each other. Every laminated spring is doubly bent, so that together, they form a fork 10 and 10a. By moving the two prongs of the fork towards each other, the bottom ends move away from each other by which the expansion is achieved. The moving towards each other of the fork prongs is done by means of the two strips 11 and 12 which are provided with rectangular recesses 13 by which dams arise. By now moving strip 11 to the left and strip 12 to the right, the forks are pinched together. This takes place here through the wedge 15 which is moved by a cylinder 16. The parts of the grabber 4 and 6 are moved in the same way by the strips 17 and 18 which are at right angles to 11 and 12. The parts of the grabber which are lifted are not expanded. This is not necessary. Together with the parts within the grabber, the edge 5 and 5a is pressed inwards, by which the objects to be lifted are pressed together and can be taken up and put away in about their original position.

What is claimed is:

1. A grabber for breaking down piles of objects arranged in layers, comprising a support frame which may be moved toward a pile of objects, a plurality of depending element which normally extend downwardly in a same direction from the frame to approximately equal distances, said elements being swingable in and movable vertically with respect to the frame upon striking an object as the frame is moved toward a pile of objects, and actuating means for moving the lower portions of opposed pairs of said elements in opposite directions to exert frictional engaging forces against the object in a layer so that the layer may be engaged and moved, said actuating means including a first pair of laterally movable actuators which are movable into contact with the depending elements above their swingable connection to the frame, and means for moving the actuators in opposite directions to swing the elements in opposite directions.

2. A grabber according to claim 1 wherein the portions of said depending elements in the path of said actuators are displaceable from the path of said actuators upon an upward vertical movement of the depending elements.

3. A grabber for breaking down piles of objects arranged in layers, comprising a support frame which may be moved toward a pile of objects, a plurality of depending elements which are swingably connected to and normally extend in a same direction from the frame to approximately equal distances, a pair of laterally slidable actuators movable into contact with portions of the depending elements which lie above the swingable connection between the depending elements and the frame, and means for moving the actuators in opposite directions to move opposed pairs of depending elements toward each other in opposite directions, and filling elements supported by and vertically movable with respect to the frame, said filling elements being located between opposed pairs of the depending elements to fill the open spaces between objects in a pile.

4. A grabber according to claim 2 wherein each of said depending elements is constrained for swinging movement in a vertical plane, with the vertical planes of a first group of depending elements being at a right angle to the vertical planes of a second group of depending elements.

5. A grabber according to claim 4 wherein the first pair of actuators are operable upon the first group of depending elements and there is a second said pair of actuators operable upon the second group of depending elements, said means for moving each pair of actuators being a cam having one face for moving one actuator in one direction and another face for moving the other actuator in another direction.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,488,826 11/1949 Peebles 29487 3,161,431 12/1964 Francis 294-63 GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner G. F. ABRAHAM, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

